GOOD NURSING. 131 



should be removed after having remained a few minutes before the 

 patient. Sick horses often prefer to feed off the ground. 



A little grass or a carrot offered by the hand will often be taken, when 

 a larger quantity put in the manger would be rejected. Sick horses 

 very soon become tired of any particular food, and hence it is desirable 

 to change their diet frequently. Cold bran mash, or warm in catarrhal 

 affections, good sweet hay sprinkled with salt and slightly wetted, grass, 

 carrots cut lengthways to avoid the risk of choking, lucern, bruised oats, 

 malt mashes, linseed tea, linseed boiled to a jelly and added to a bran 

 mash, gruel, and skim-milk are each for a time generally palatable. 

 Boiling water poured on slightly brown hay produces a tea, which is much 

 relished by some animals ; and in some diseases the steam arising from 

 it, whilst the infusion is being made, acts beneficially in soothing the 

 inflamed mucous membrane of the nose. Locks of hay after being so 

 treated are also occasionally picked out and eaten. After gastric or 

 bilious fever stale bread given by the hand will often be taken, when 

 everything else is rejected. After a debilitating disease skim-milk is very 

 beneficial. 



During the height of fever the appetite is completely lost; and food, 

 even if taken, could not be digested. A liberal supply of water is grate- 

 ful in such cases, and may be the means of introducing medicines suitable 

 to the case. There is no use in attempting to force food on a sick horse, 

 until he shows some inclination for it. But as the fever subsides and 

 recovery commences, it is a good plan to tempt the appetite by placing 

 locks or small quantities of different kinds of hay in the corners of the 

 box. This will also induce slight exercise and brighten up the patient. 



When there is continued positive inability to swallow, some nutriment 

 may be afforded by frequently giving oatmeal clysters in small quantities. 



Linseed oil at the rate of about two ounces in the course of the day 

 mixed in the food is often very useful in improving the condition of 

 debilitated animals. The quantity may be gradually increased up to 

 four ounces, if the patient appears to relish it. In cases of emaciation 

 glycerine at the rate of from four to eight ounces may be given daily. 



For reasons explained under the head of Forage, paragraph 98, grass, 

 lucern and carrots are preferable to clover or vetches. 



260. Horses ivitkfree discharge from the nostrils. 



A horse with a free discharge from the nostrils should as a general rule 

 be fed from a temporary manger or bucket placed near the ground, as 

 the depending position of the head, whilst the animal is feeding, will 

 facilitate the discharge. A wheel-barrow will serve very well as a make- 

 shift for this purpose. But where the patient shows signs of headache, 

 as is often the case, especially in feverish attacks, this position, which 

 would determine more blood to the head, is very undesirable. Steaming 

 the head is very beneficial in catarrhal affections. 



When a horse has a discharge of a suspicious character as to its nature, 

 he should be tied up sufficiently to prevent his throwing it about all 

 parts of the walls of the box. 



